One Day
by tyrzgz
Summary: "You can run but you can't hide." Dair fic inspired by book Where We Belong.
1. Chapter 1

Hi. This story just popped in my head yesterday when I was reading _Where We Belong_ by Emily Giffin (That was my 'day out' change from school readings.) So I've written prologue quickly, loosely based on that book. I hope you like the idea. I bet there is similar fic somewhere written stunningly by talented author but I've decided to go with it anyway.

I still have a lot of work in school and in life so sorry for lack of updates. I will continue this one when I finish _Eileen_. But I can't promise new chapter anytime soon. So sorry.

As always my apologies for all terrifying mistakes and errors.

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**One Day (Part 1)**

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How to describe Blair Waldorf?

Successful and beautiful 36-year-old woman, casual observer would say. Independent, strong and sharp Graduate of Sorbonne, someone would add. Hard-working and demanding founder of her own fashion magazine. Visionary. Trend-setter. Fundraiser.

Outwardly she leads perfect life with perfect fiancé. But the truth can be harsh.

She comes back home earlier than she should from charity event she organized herself. She was tired and restless whole evening, sitting there was useless anyway. Her fiancé Nate Archibald wasn't with her, but it was not a reason of her uneasiness. His absence was rather good thing. She didn't have to pretend how happy they are and praise the blissfulness of their engagement time, which is only for show.

But she must admit that she is good at making stories up – where they spent their vacation, how many children they want to have, how supportive her flawless fiancé is. The topics are endless. Sometimes she even believes in them herself. The truth is that they have two separate bedrooms and that this 'relationship' is the most loveless of all in Upper East Side.

Blair walks in the living-room where Nate is watching football match. "Hi." He says. "How was your party?"

"Good. Thanks." Blair answers.

"Enough money… for children."

"Yes, not bad." Nate nods approvingly still looking directly on TV. "How was your day in work?" She asks politely.

"Good." He takes a sip of his beer.

They are just roommates not even close ones. That expensive ring she is wearing in public is just pure business. He proves his father that he is responsible and settled down man, who can finally be in charge of big company. While Blair helps her mother's company survives. She feels that she owes her that. She can't explain it, but she feels guilty every time she says 'no' to her. She is not able to protest or oppose to Eleanor's will. That how it was when she was younger and how it is now.

Blair wonders sometimes how she ends up in this farce. Then she concludes that she deserves it, that this is just well-earned punishment. 'I do not deserve to be happy.' This is a line, she repeats constantly every night before sleep.

Luckily their awkward and forced conversation is disturbed by a sound of a doorbell. "I'll get it." She runs up to the front door thankfully. When she opens it she sees a young, tall man in blue jeans, black, down jacket and leather shoes, with kitbag hung over his shoulder. She stands there, still in her fancy ball gown, heels and unbuttoned coat, completely dumbfounded with wide opened eyes and parted lips.

"Good evening." The boy says nervously, with slight French accent. "Are you Blair Waldorf?" He asks. She doesn't say anything. She just stares at his easily recognizable bone structure and dark, curly hair. Tears fill her eyes. "I'm Philip Moore…"

Blair slams the door in his face thoughtlessly when she felt unbearable heat in her chest. Her heart is beating at a furious pace now, her mind is galloping and her knees become so weak that she has to take her shoes off. Deep inside she expected it to happen. Deeper inside she wanted it to happen. But it doesn't change a fact that _his_ presence in _her_ life –again– knocks her out.

"Who was that?" Nate asks uninterested.

"Nobody." She mutters. "Homeless…" She stammers, patting her chest to calm herself down.

Homeless people in top security building are not very believable lie but Nate doesn't seem to care. "So maybe you should invite him inside to show charity in real life." He laughs sarcastically. "Maybe he is hungry or something."

Without a blink she is out of her apartment. She runs down the stairs because she thought it's faster than elevator. She rushes through the lobby barefoot. "Miss Blair!" Vanya calls out. But she doesn't react, leaving the building in a hurry. She looks around the street impatiently, hoping that he doesn't go far enough. Then she spots him on the bench at the end of the pavement, he is looking for something in his bag. She approaches to him quickly.

"Hi." She says shyly. He doesn't even turn around to face her. "I know who you are." She tells him with trembling voice.

"I know you do." He retorts curtly. Her reaction up there was too evident for him.

"Are you… are you hungry?" She starts. "Do you have place to overnight?" She begins to search in her clutch bag. "Take these please." She hands him two 100 dollar bills.

He eyes her contemptuously. "I don't _want_ or _need _your money." He stresses. "I'm fine. Don't worry." He says acidly and starts to go away.

"Hey!" She screams in horror. "Where are you going?!" She follows, trying to stop him. "Wait. Here…" She brings a pen and piece of paper out her bag and writes something. "Please go there." 'I will be calmer.' She adds in her mind and gives him an address. "Promise me you go there." She looks up at handsome, exactly 18 year and 11 day old boy. "Promise me." She repeats pleadingly. He finally nods finding the man's name on a card familiar.

She sighs in relief and hails a cab. She swears that she hails a cab for the first time in her life. When car drove away, she stands in the middle of the sidewalk alone who knows for how long. "Philip." She says her son's name dreamily after a while. Then with one strong wind blow, which messes her hairdo, she realizes what she has done. She puts her hand on her mouth in panic.

That is just the beginning of the thunderstorm.

That seems to be this day, this one day when all secrets come out, all facades and illusions come down.

_You can run but you can't hide._

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.

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Philip climbs up the stairs of the Brooklyn's building. Standing in front of the wooden door of communal loft, he hesitates a bit. Then he takes a deep, shaky breath and knocks.

Dan Humphrey looks at his front door suspiciously from behind a kitchen counter, glancing at the clock –11.20– he frowns at the timing of the visitor. He opens it and he is not entirely sure what is going on. They both aren't. They look at each other as if they are their own reflections in the mirror. Similarity is unmistakable.

"Hi." The boy starts diffidently. "I'm Philip Moore." He pauses rumpling a card with address from Blair in his hand. "You are probably my biological father."

.

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tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Hi. I'm sooner than I initially thought. Thank you for your kind words and interest. It's greatly appreciated.

Forgive every single mistake and error.

See you later.

* * *

**One Day (Part 2)**

* * *

That should be extremely surprising news, but Dan stays oddly calm. He looks carefully at the boy and opens the door wider. "Please come in." Philip takes a few steps forward and stands next to a couch. "Sit down." Dan offers swallowing lump in his throat.

"No. I'm here just for a moment. I don't want to bother you. I just…" Philip sighs. "I really didn't expect to be here..." He pauses clearly rambling and plays with his fingers nervously. "Not tonight, at least." He whispers to himself.

A warm, small smile forms in Dan's face. "Well it is quite unexpected..." Dan runs his hand through his hair. "And I really think you should sit down because I'm not going to let you out anytime soon. I have few questions." He smiles shyly. "So you do, probably." He almost winks.

Philip nods and moves to the armchair. He puts his bag on the floor and unzips his jacket glancing discreetly around the place. Dan sits on the sofa opposite him. They sit there in silence for a while. Dan doesn't really know what he wants to ask or how to start. He gets lost in his thoughts instead. "I got your address from Blair Waldorf." Philip blurts out.

He could see how Dan tenses a bit. "Have you seen her?" He asks half hopefully half angrily.

"Yes."

"How did you find her?"

"Well my parents told me that I'm adopted years ago." He shows Dan his adoption form. "There is a clause that when I turn 18 I can contact with adoption agency and ask for details. Only Blair figured as a mother. So I've decided to meet her."

"And what did she say?" He is very curious himself.

"Nothing." He says honestly. "She slammed the door in front of me."

"What?" He shakes his head.

"She updated her address in agency, so I thought she is prepared…" He looks down at the floor. "I didn't know that she is famous and… rich. I just have few questions." Dan rubs his face tiredly sighing loudly. "I don't want to disturb her life or yours." He waves at Dan. "I have family." He says openly, while Dan glooms a bit. "Anyways she recognized me, she ran after me offering money…" He flinches. "…and your address and made me come here."

"I understand nothing." Dan mutters thinking intensively. "But maybe all of this make sense now."

"All of what?"

"Philip." Dan says mildly. "She didn't… I didn't know that she was pregnant. I didn't know about you."

"Oh." Philip shifts awkwardly. "Really?" Dan nods. "I'm sorry." He stands up quickly. "I would never come if I knew."

"No, don't go. I'm glad you are here." He tries to stop him. "Look I don't know much, probably less than you. But I wanna talk."

"It's nice change. You didn't know about my existence and still wanna talk…" He comments bitterly implying to Blair's previous behavior.

"We were happy and in love Philip, you are not result of casual sex." Dan tells him straightforwardly. "And she is not as you think she is…" He defends her not for her but for the boy. He was unplanned obviously, but he doesn't want him to think that he was unwanted mistake, he _wasn't _at least to Dan. He can say that without a doubt even though he knows about Philip only for several minutes.

"So what is she like?" He looks up at him curiously, challengingly.

"Wonderful." Dan says simply. "_My_ Blair is wonderful. Only that comes to my mind when I think about her." He is surprised by that sentence himself. Their relationship _was_ beautiful and simple. But when world started to meddle, it was very complicated too. And it wasn't the easiest job to overcome. But they worked together really hard. And it paid off doubly. She was wonderful, she will always be this way for him. And he doesn't want Philip to think otherwise. Especially that he's already figured out when they conceived him. It was from pure love.

Philip gets more and more intrigued. He watches Dan carefully. "When did you meet?"

"We met in junior high school." He starts to tell him their story briefly. "She was so mean to me…" Philip raises his brows. "She afflicted me, that's true." He laughs lightly. "You know she was constantly throwing my breakfast into the trash, or strewing my books all over the hall. She just humiliated me in front of other student with her minions." Philip looks at him confused. "Minions were girls who were walking everywhere with her and she was bossing them around. They did everything she wanted." He explains.

"With all respect but it doesn't go with the term 'wonderful'." Philip makes disgust expression but waits for rest of the story.

"I know. But somehow it was. We became friends before 9th grade started. Books connected us. We started to talk and we found out that we had a lot in common. Everything went quickly, 6 months later we were a couple, secret couple at first." He adds.

"What? Why?"

"Because of potential obstacles."

"Obstacles?"

"She was popular girl from Upper East Side, only child, her parents were Elite of this city. At school everybody wanted to be friends with her or at least to be seen by her, just be around her. She creates school dominance hierarchy and I was just scholarship student from Brooklyn. Not that league mildly speaking."

"That's stupid. It's not middle ages with strong caste society."

He looks at him sympathetically. "Believe me for some people social status is everything and more. And Blair wasn't ashamed of us, of me. She was scared that people would want to ruin us. And she was right."

"What do you mean?"

"She was degraded in school."

"Because she was dating you." He says with disbelieve.

Dan nods. "I was so proud of her, not because she finally decided to show our relationship in public, but because she started to follow her heart. She stopped posing and pretending. I was proud that she started to show her good and loving heart to others. But it wasn't appreciated. She still was president of the student government, but those rich kids didn't want to participate in her actions anymore and stopped invite her on their parties. I thought it would cause conflicts between us, but she assured that she wasn't even friends with them anyway and she wasn't going to be surrounded by these superficial and narrow-minded people anymore. She started to cooperate with other students and became successful even more." He smiles. "And her parents… but that was totally different story."

"Don't tell me that they didn't accept you because you were from Brooklyn." Dan shrugs. "My god." Philip rubs his forehead.

He knows that he shouldn't tell him other specifics. "Right now it's just water under the bridge." He pauses and looks at the boy in awe. "You have Blair's eyes and ears." He interjects. Philip strokes his left ear instinctively. "That's incredible." Philip blushes a little. "We were together over 3 years." He continues. "We had whole future planned..." He trails off. "I loved her so much…"

Philip observes Dan steadily. "So what happened?"

"She disappeared week before our high school graduation." He leans back and looks at the window. "I haven't seen her since then."

"She broke up with you?"

Dan shakes his head slowly. "No, she just disappeared without word." He takes a deep breath. "I tried contact with her ineffectively."

"Are you mad at her?" He bites his lips knowing how silly that question is.

"I was angry with her for so long. We were so close… We didn't have secrets. I have no idea what were her motives. Sitting here with you now it's even more confusing and surreal. She had no reason to not tell me about pregnancy…" He closes his eyes, just now anger starts to grow in him. "I had right to know."

Philip is willing to ask him what he would do if he knew, but he resigns. He nods, agreeing with Dan's last sentence. "I should get going. Thank you for your time and… everything."

"Where do you want to go?" Dan asked concerned.

"My parents come tomorrow night from Paris. We live there." He explains. "They rented a room in Plaza."

Dan looks at him impressed. "They let you fly alone?"

"My dad is diplomat. We travel a lot and I got used to doing it on my own."

"But it's not just a trip." He points out.

"Well I haven't told them that I'm going to meet my biological mother." Philip admits ashamedly.

"You shouldn't have lied to them." Dan says calmly.

"I know but I wasn't sure what would happen. Maybe I wouldn't find her. They would worry unnecessarily."

"But you met her… us. You have to tell them."

"I know. I will. In the morning I will call them."

"Ok." Dan looks around. "I know that this loft is not Plaza, but I would love you to stay here till your parents arriving."

"I…"

"Please." Dan interrupts. "Please."

"Ok." He agrees hesitantly.

Dan smiles and sighs with relief. He wants to have him here and maybe decide on the future. He doesn't want him to walk away from him for good again. "Are you hungry?" The boy shakes his head no. "Are you sure? Sorry I didn't ask you earlier." The boy nods. "Ok I will bring you a towel." When he comes back he finds Philip in front of a shelf with family pictures.

"You are very family-oriented." He notes. "And have big family."

"Yeah. But as everyone we have our issues. My parents divorced when I was in high school." Dan takes one frame. "So this is my dad's wedding photo. His wife Lily and her kids Eric and Serena and here is my sister Jenny and me." He hands him a photo.

"What is his name?"

"Rufus."

"And this is my mom Alison with her husband Ted." Philip takes a look attentively.

"I have younger sister too, Olivia." The boy says. "Are you two close?"

"We were." He admits pensively. "Jenny died in car accident."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"Here is her daughter Madeleine." He says dismissively. "And my half-brother Scott, son of Lily and dad, with his wife." He pointed at another frame.

"And you? Do you have your own family, children?"

"No. But I'm divorced. This marriage lasted two years and it was mistake for both of us." He puts his sister's picture on the shelf back. "It's hard to build something when you still live in the past."

Philip searches Dan's face. "Do you want to try again?"

Dan doesn't respond right away. "No." He answers decidedly. "There is no point when I'm not going to get what I want anyway."

"And you want Blair." He says a bit annoyed.

"No. I want to turn back the clock."

Philip doesn't exactly know how to interpret that statement. "Where can I sleep?" Dan points his finger at the right door. "Good night."

"Good night." Dan sighs and for the first time this evening he feels unpleasant weight inside. Anger and anxiety takes over him completely. The night passed in overanalyzing the day he spoke to Blair for the last time.

He has no idea what the future might bring.

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_**Flashback 2008**_

_Morning_

_Ringing sell phone wakes Dan up at 7.30. "Hi sunshine." He greets Blair with a yawn._

"_Don't tell me you were sleeping." _

"_No." He rolls on his other side. "I'm sipping my delicious coffee."_

"_Yeah right. You know that you have to be at school at 8." _

"_Impossible." He says calmly._

"_Humphrey listen to me very carefully: you must be at school at 8. Graduation rehearsal starts then." _

"_Nobody will be on time anyway. Who sets rehearsals at 8 am?"_

"_I set rehearsals at 8 am." She stresses annoyed. "And nobody dare to be late on the meeting with me."_

"_Oh sorry I forgot you are evil dictator." He says sarcastically. "So you are going to be late on your own meeting." He concludes getting up._

"_No, I'm not going to show up at school today at all. I don't feel well."_

"_What happened? Are you ok?" He asks concerned. _

"_Yeah don't worry, it's just food poisoning or something. I stay in bed and eat Dorota's chicken soup and in the afternoon I will be as good as new." She assures him._

"_Maybe I will come to you." _

"_No I need you at school. Those dumbheads are going to ruin my script in front of the principal."_

"_By dumbheads you mean your teammates." _

"_Subordinates if anything." Dan rolls his eyes. "Please Humphrey." She says sweetly. "Supervise them. I want to avoid a fiasco."_

"_I am sure Blair Waldorf's crew is not able to compromise themselves." _

"_Ugh smoothie." She can imagine his smirk._

"_See they don't need me. I'm on my way to you."_

"_No. Go there. You are the only competent person, and you know what I want. I trust you."_

_He sighs into the phone. "Ok if you reject my company." She sighs into the phone this time. "I could give you some relief by a little massage or I could arrange a movie or literary morning. But if you don't want. Tough!" He says with fake resentment. _

"_Pouter!" _

_He laughs immediately. "Ok. I will hold the forts if that makes you feel better."_

"_Thank you Humphrey." She says gratefully. _

"_No problem."_

"_But wear something decent, you act on my behalf." She reminds him resolutely._

"_Coming back to normal self, you are not that sick…" He reasons. "Cord vest will be ok, right?" He asks jokingly. _

"_Daniel." She warns him. He laughs breathlessly. _

"_Sure you are ok?" _

"_Yes." She confirms. "Dan?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Will your previous offer stand in the afternoon?" She asks meekly._

_He straightens proudly. "Uhm I don't know…" He teases smugly. _

_She snarls. "Fine. Forget."_

"_See you in the afternoon."_

"_Great!" She replies happily. He laughs lightly. "Love you!"_

"_Oh really? Thanks." He says playfully._

"_Are you sure it's your respond?" She asks banteringly. _

"_Yes." He says confidently._

"_That's how you are saying good bye to me?"_

"_Yeah." He repeats with obvious manner and laughs. "Love you too Waldorf." He confesses before she hangs up. "See you sooner!"_

_Evening_

_Dan enters a penthouse. "Hi Dorota. Is Blair upstairs?" He asks rhetorically._

"_No. She is not here."_

_He looks at her a little shocked. "Umm? We were supposed to meet here." He pauses. "Admittedly she left me a mystery voice message and I'm kind of worried. That's way I'm earlier." _

'_Dan my phone is broken. Be in penthouse at 6. We need to talk. It's important.'_

"_Me too and I don't know what is going on Dan. Eleanor just stormed here, furious. Furious." She emphasizes. "She took some documents and went out."_

_He sighs. "She is always furious when she is back in New York, as if it's her biggest punishment to be here." He can't resist a snarky comment. "Ok. Maybe Blair feels better and is in loft."_

_._

_._

_._

tbc

* * *

A little clarification:  
Firstly I've never liked this show. I can't even say that I was watching it, it was rather occasionally thing. But when I accidently watched first episode I was sure Dan and Blair are planned to end up together because they were just perfectly constructed to each other (and for esthetic reasons). So I don't follow its path and concept at all. That's why some of you may think that they are out of character especially Blair. To me it's not the problem because _to me_ she was out of character when she started consider Chuck as her romantic companion. Blair here went through a lot and has nemesis who damaged her badly. You will learn about it later.

Secondly in this fic is not Nair/Derena/Chair background. Since the very beginning is only Dair. (That's my head canon btw. Serena and Chuck just don't exist to me at least not as Dan's or Blair's partners.)


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